Semper Floreat


Semper Floreat is the student newspaper of the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia. It has been published continuously by the University of Queensland Union since 1932, when it began as a fortnightly newsletter of only a few pages, produced by one editor. The current Editor-in-Chief of Semper Floreat is Rowan Evans. In 2014, Semper became a 48-page, monthly magazine that employs a full-time editor, deputy editor and 8 part-time editors The editors are elected annually by the student body. In 2017, Semper reduced its magazine publications to three for the year, and relaunched its website.
Semper occupied an important position in Brisbane's cultural and radical history, and has been closely connected with such cultural icons such as 'Time Off'. Semper editor, Alan Knight, was a founding Director of 4ZZZ FM.
A number of important Australian writers, critics, historians and social commentators have been associated with the newspaper including David Malouf, Joan Kerr, Jack Carmody, Shane Porteous, Alan Frost, Graeme Rowlands, William Yang aka Willie Young, Peter McCawley, Brian Toohey, Michael O'Neill, Dan O'Neill, Susan Geason, Lenore Taylor, John Birmingham, Clinton Walker and Humphrey McQueen. In 2005 the magazine was edited by Daniel and Sarah Spencer, who went on to form the influential underground rock band Blank Realm.
The University of Queensland Fryer Library holds the most complete collection of the newspaper and archival issues are available through UQ eSpace; copies are also held in the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Parliamentary Library, and the National Library of Australia in Canberra. Archival issues are also available from UQ eSpace.
The first student magazine for the University was called Queensland University Magazine. It continued to publish alongside Semper Floreat until the 1950s.

Current Editors

Editors are elected during the annual University of Queensland Union elections. In 2019 Real for UQU and Empower your UQU cross nominated the 2020 Semper Floreat Editors, as a result there was no Semper Floreat ballot during the elections.
Chief EditorEditors
Rowan EvansNilsson Jones
Rowan EvansMatthew Johnson
Rowan EvansWilliam Ketter
Rowan EvansOliver Friendship
Rowan EvansEmma Grady
Rowan EvansRuby Green
Rowan EvansPierce Knoblanche
Rowan EvansMax Mayer
Rowan EvansShreyas Shet

Art of Shoplifting controversy

In 1995, Semper reprinted a controversial article from Rabelais Student Media, its La Trobe University counterpart, entitled 'The Art of Shoplifting' – one of seven student newspapers to do so. Although the Rabelais editors responsible for the original article were prosecuted for ignoring a ban on publication issued by the state's Chief Censor; the editors of the other seven newspapers were not targeted by the authorities. Charges against the Rabelais editors were later dropped.